Top 10 Pet Peeves with Indian Roads

To copy Jane Austen, it’s a truth universally acknowledged that Indian roads are filled with uneducated, idiotic drivers. Adding to our daily aggravation are the pothole marred roads that cause considerable damage to both man and machine. But I think that’s the least of our problems. Indian roads are just not built for safety. There are exceptions of course – various patches that together make up the Golden Quadrilateral project, the Palm Beach road in Navi Mumbai, and probably some of the newer expressways. But even these need to go a long way before meeting any international or for that matter even domestic safety benchmarks. True, I haven’t travelled across the length and breadth of the country to validate this. But going by my experience of the states I have travelled through and also my basic understanding of the psyche of those in charge of such matter, we can safely assume that things are not likely to be any better.

Design in terms of architecture and flow is the key issue. Other factors being equal, vehicles need to glide effortlessly over the road. The driver should only be worrying about controlling his own vehicle and not about the innumerable blind spots, lanes that suddenly disappear, speed breakers that mysteriously materialize overnight, and turns that turn up without any warning. CAD/CAM software has evolved. Just feed the right data and you can design a road close to perfection before even clearing the first pebble off the surface. Also, from a go-green point of view, this would mean fewer traffic jams, lower fuel consumption, less pollution, reduction in vehicle wear and tear, among others.  Not to digress, I will now get back to my top 10 peeves with the roads in India.

1.       Lanes: Demarcate lanes keeping in mind the natural path vehicles are likely to follow and the speed at which it is likely to traverse a particular stretch. White fluorescent stripes on the road surface to mark lanes are a must. Our highways are generally bereft of any lights and these do act as life savers in the night. Even those reflectors are a good idea.

2.       Turns: Provide adequate warning signage before a turn. And at least 50 meters before a turn a new lane specifically for vehicles that need to take the turn should be introduced. The Vashi to Belapur stretch of the Palm Beach road does have this facility. Also, do away with turns every 50 meters. This is the biggest issue I face on the Thane Belapur road – indiscriminate turns every 50 meters or so. As it is, visibility is low on our roads, and when you least expect it a vehicle suddenly pops out of nowhere and cuts into your lane. This definitely leads to traffic jams and can lead to unnecessary accidents too. And even worse, these kinda roads are quite dangerous in the late evenings and at nighttime. If people have vehicles they shouldn’t mind traveling a few extra 100 meters to take their next turn for the sake of safety of all. They don’t seem to mind that in Delhi or Bangalore, and if they have issues with it in Mumbai knock sense into their head.

3.       Safety Barriers: Most roads in India do not have adequate safety barriers or even simple dividers. Here I am not including city main roads and the relatively newer expressways. But the Bombay Goa highway is a case in point. Winding, tortuous roads with no barriers is a recipe for accidents. And we see enough of them on the highway I just mentioned. One of the biggest killers this side of the country.

4.        Junctions: Technology is available to enhance sight distance. Put signage that are clearly visible from a distance to improve the visibility of the junction. Warning signs should be placed well before vehicles approach a junction. And don’t stop at one please. The vehicles are moving and the chances of missing a sign are very high.

5.        Signage and bollards should provide easily comprehensive information and I want to say it again, it should be clearly visible with no vegetation blocking it or dirt hiding the information. And put it in large font size. If you are travelling even at 60kmph you brain doesn’t have the luxury of focusing on the road while also trying to peer hard enough to read the info on the board.

6.       Traffic lights should be visible and not hidden behind foliage or some billboard. Firstly, it should be visible from a distance. And please ensure some consistency in terms of its placement. Ideally, it should curve out right into the center of the road. Else, stick to one side. Don’t keep it to the right for a few kilometers and then shift to the left. Don’t keep it to the left period. Also, get someone to check the bulbs and clean up the muck occasionally. We don’t have extra sensory powers to figure out whether there is a red or a green hidden behind the brown and grey.

7.       Manhole covers and drain grates should not protrude. To begin with, I feel, these elements should be on the side of the road and not right in the middle. 

8.       Curves should be sweeping. I had mentioned this in a previous blog. Sharp turns will lead to vehicles losing control, and are accidents waiting to happen.

9.       Flyovers that are built over a junction and continuing straight down should be in the center and not split up built on the left or right. The natural tendency is to keep to the middle and right if you are planning to continue driving straight down. The only exception should be if they are going right or left. Another thing, don’t begin a flyover less than five meters from a junction. This is another accident waiting to happen.

10.   Speed breakers shouldn’t be built every 50 meters and definitely not every 10 meters unless there are schools or hospitals around. Near stations and other pedestrian traffic points build foot over bridges or subways.

A bonus peeve:

11.   Bus stops should not be a part of the main road. Wherever you plan a bus stop, please ensure a mini convex lane is made available for the buses to roll in. On a three lane road, the unruly, undisciplined public who never bother waiting at the bus stop usually occupy one whole lane or more, and in order to avoid running into them the bus driver generally stops in the middle of the second and third lane practically blocking the entire road till all the passengers have boarded. And you dare not squeeze through the outer third lane. For some reason, which I still haven’t fathomed, BEST bus drivers never roll straight forward after a stop rather they move to the right. And god forbid if you have to be parallel to the bus at that moment.